Keep Your Ear To The Ground

Are you a long-ear? You might be if you keep your ear to the ground.

In an old western movie a seasoned Indian scout crawls out of the saddle, drops to his knees, and lays his ear to the ground. Then he’ll say, “Three riders. Going south. About four miles away. One of the horses is lame.” This was called long-earing.

In another version, a plainsman would stretch a silk bandanna on the ground, touch their ear to it, and claim this magnified otherwise inaudible sounds.

I’ve not read any consistent fruitful accounts of this system. However, there’s no doubt that an event such as a herd of 200,000 buffalo on the move would cause the earth to quake for miles. Anyone with their ear to the ground could discern that noise.

The practice of long-earing produced the cliche, “Keep your ear to the ground.” This meant to use caution, go slow, and listen often.

Good advice for riding the Old West.

Good advice today. Especially when entering new territory.

If your sixteen-year-old daughter gets interested in a boy, what advice do you give her? Why not try, “Use caution. Go slow. Listen often.”

If you’re headed for a job interview that might transfer you and your family to another state: Use caution. Go slow. Listen often.

The advice fits for any important decision, any difficult choice.

The Bible notes, “My dear brothers, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).

That’s the same as saying, “Climb out of the saddle and long-ear it.”

Stephen Bly
Copyright©1993

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Other western devotionals and western slang blogs by Stephen Bly:  https://www.blybooks.com/category/steves-devotionals/

Western and historical novels by Stephen Bly:  https://www.blybooks.com/product_category/historical-western-novels/

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